Trust
by rockmysocks456
Summary: Just a little insight to Neal during his fainting in that room in, "Hard Sell"  Episode 8, Season 1  NO SLASH. Just friendship.
1. Neal

_* This isn't going to be a multi-chaptered story, unfortunately. I was just watching "Hard Sell" (Episode 8, Season 1) and thought I'd write this little story about Neal Caffrey. NO SLASH. Just friendship. And as always, READ AND REVIEW!_

* * *

The oxygen in the room was limited. Slowly fading out... becoming nothing but carbon dioxide. Not something people generally breathe in. In fact, doing so is rather harmful. I don't recommend it at all. It sounds most excruciating.

But Neal and Peter were trapped. A gun pointed at them through the window, trapped in a room with no air. Neal tried to calm himself down but the fact that his head seemed to be heavying was not helping at all. He tried to breathe but he couldn't his chest was becoming restricted, and his head felt like it was being squeezed, about to blow...

The room was spinning and he wanted- _needed _to regain control. He had to hold through. For Peter. But the lack of air was eating at him. Causing his chest to clench, his head to pound, his world to spin... He grabbed clumsily at nothing, hoping to find something to help him remain standing.

But nothing was there but the wall, his eyes were wide as he opened them as far as he could, he needed to stay there, with Peter, he'd be okay...

His hand scrabbled at the wall and he felt himself sliding... down onto the floor... his chest tightened, his head throbbed, his world blackened... _No! Peter needs you, Neal, stay awake... have to stay... awake... _So tired... had to let go... had to subcumb...

He'd be okay... he had to be. Peter was with him, so he'd be okay... he had to be. He trusted that he would be. He would be. Wouldn't he? Yes. He would. Peter was there so he had to believe, had to trust that everything would be alright. He trusted Peter. And always would...

His thoughts disappeared as the room turned dark and the faint voice of Peter silenced... He didn't see... he couldn't think... his mind had gone dark... just as the room had, so unexpectedly before his eyes.

* * *

It felt like forever that Neal was unconscious. But he knew he'd be okay once he heard that reassuring, encouraging voice. It belonged to Peter. He knew this. His head hurt, and his chest was looser but still aching, but he was alive. Peter had made sure of that.

He opened his eyes slowly, his vision blurred at first, he blinked it into better focus and gasped for air which thankfully came. He inhaled and exhaled quickly, as though this was the only oxygen left in the world and he had to take it all in at once. Peter held out a hand for him to slow down.

"_Breathe. Just breathe, Neal."_

He did as instructed, and breathed. He was so exhausted he wished he'd pass out again but he knew that he shouldn't let that happen. He allowed, Peter to haul him to his feet, and he stumbled. Peter took Neal's arm, and draped it over his own shoulder and half-dragged him outside for some air.

It took five minutes for Neal to finally come back completely. He had been dragged outside in a daze and had been sat down on the ground outside without knowlege of it... until now and he realized he was sitting there beside Peter, and he'd be okay.

He wanted to extend his gratitude to Peter, but had never been very good at 'thank you's. He took some time to breathe and then said to Peter with complete sincerity,

"You've always got my back, right Peter?"

Peter smiled but he could tell there was something more, behind that smile. It was bad. Something that he was about to tell Neal.

Neal breathed, he knew whatever it was, it would be okay. Because he trusted Peter and was glad of it.

Because otherwise, he might not be out here. He'd be dead on the floor, having died miserably in that tiny, airlocked room.

But he was alive.

Trust kept him alive. And it had everyday he'd worked with Peter Burke.


	2. Peter

_* This chapter was suggested by Laheara. It's through Peter's point of view this time. And c'mon people, READ AND REVIEW!_

* * *

All oxygen was gone from the room, but for the portion that was inside the small metal thing, Neal had given Peter. He had it clenched between his teeth as he breathed, Neal however, was not.

He remembered what Neal had said when Peter had offered to split the oxygen with him. Neal had said,

"_I trust you, Peter."_

He trusted him. Trusted him with his own life. Neal's life was in Peter's hands and Neal was perfectly okay with that. The feeling Peter felt when Neal had said that, was so heartwarming, yet so surprised that he wasn't sure what to feel.

Why did Neal trust him? It had been partially Peter's fault that Neal had been put behind bars again. Neal should believe that Peter didn't trust him, as he continued to make him wear the tracking anklet in case he chose to run away.

But even after all of that, Neal could still honestly tell Peter that he trusted him.

Peter was shoving pictures off of the walls, looking for the kill switch, to open the door and allow the room to once more fill with air. He was searching desperately. The clock was ticking. They had, had five minutes worth of air. But that was gone now. Neither could speak, as it would be a waste of breath, and so it was just barely that Peter heard,

"_Peter!"_

He turned around and saw, to his surprise that Neal had found the switch. He was pointing at it, with his eyebrows knitted together in pain, most likely from the tightening he was surely feeling in his chest, and the throbbing in his head.

Peter's heart nearly stopped when he saw his partner grip at the wall, and then slide as if in slow motion, down... down... down... to the floor. His eyes closing as he did so.

Peter sprinted to the killswitch and reached up to push it when he saw from outside the glass, Avery had a gun cocked and pointed at his heart, daring him to push that button, because if he did, he'd be shot.

Peter looked around desperately and knelt down lightly, and shook Neal's shoulder, hoping to God he'd wake up. But Neal remained unresponsive. And this was perhaps what drove Peter to push that button anyway.

He pulled out his own gun, finger resting ready on the trigger, pointed at Avery and Reed, his hand an inch from the killswitch, eyes at the glass. It was when he saw several FBI agents filing into the hallway behind Reed and Avery, that he slammed his palm into the switch and watched the door slide open.

He immediately bent down in front of Neal, and felt his chest. _Not breathing!_ He waved his hand before his closed eyes and then pressed gently into the conman's chest, forcing air into his lungs.

"_C'mon, Neal. C'mon..." _He whispered encouragingly.

The intense relief he felt when his partner's eyes flew open and he lifted his head, gasping for air which luckily came.

"Breathe." He instructed to the panting ex-forger who obliged.

Breathing heavily Neal replied, "...That was a long five minutes."

Peter smiled, "Yeah."

He helped Neal outside, leading him out to sit down and get some air.

He shook his head and said as Neal rubbed his head groggily.

"What you did..."

"I knew you'd take care of it." Neal responded.

"Crazier than I am." Peter said and they chuckled.

There was a short pause and Neal said,

"You got my back, right?"

Peter nodded but he then remembered what he had to explain to Neal about Kate. He could tell that Neal knew something was coming so he wanted to explain it to him kindly. Neal seemed to sense that too and allowed Peter to tell him the news.

He was glad that Neal trusted him.


End file.
